Needlework Club A Way To “De-stress”

SAN ANTONIO—In our advanced world of technology, most students these days focus their interests on their phones and social media. Activities such as knitting may seem a bit old-fashioned, but one group on campus has an interest for it. The Needlework Club at OLLU invites students to come and learn the techniques of knitting and crocheting.

Victoria Whitlock, who is the president of the Needlework Club, and her friends decided to start the group after they met together last year for what they called “Craft Sunday.” There, they did activities such as knitting and crocheting. The group filled out the paperwork to become an official club in the spring of 2015 and “Craft Sunday” became the Needlework Club.

Most of the people in the group are new to knitting and crocheting and are learning the basic techniques. The group also invites those who know how to crochet, knit, or sew, to come and work on crafts with them as well.

“That’s one of the reasons why I had initially chosen to meet on Fridays, because it’s the end of the week and it’s a good way to de-stress and wind down after the busy workweek,” says Whitlock. “Crocheting and knitting; it’s just a fun hobby. It’s really relaxing.”

Most people believe crocheting and knitting are the same thing, but they are not.

“Crocheting is just with a hook, one hook. Knitting is with two needles,” Whitlock says. “They make different types of fabric.”

Whitlock first began her interest in crocheting during her preteen years when a family member taught her. As for knitting, Whitlock says she began in January of this year. “I started knitting on New Year’s and I finished my first scarf in February.” Whitlock used the Internet as a helpful guide for her knitting techniques. “When I was on campus, I would watch YouTube videos. They’re very helpful [since they have] so many good tutorials.”

The Needlework Club is looking for more members to join and, if interested, students can attend one of their meetings. The group meets on Fridays at 5pm in the Elliott House.